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

Inspection report children's home: 2537058 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 is a privately owned children’s home. The provider states in their home’s statement of purpose that they provide 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. She registered with Ofsted in March 2021.

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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 2 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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requires improvement to be good

How well children and young people are helped and protected requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The children’s home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

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requires improvement to be good

Date of last inspection: 14 January 2020

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report children's home: 2537058 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

14/01/2020 Full Good Inspection report children's home: 2537058 3

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improvement to be good

At the time of the inspection, two children lived at the home. Since the last inspection, two children have left. Not all children have moved on in a planned way, and records demonstrate that outcomes are varied for children who have left.

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improvement to be good

Children say that they like living at the home. One child said, ‘We are perfectly safe here, and you [the inspector] do not need to worry about me.’

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improvement to be good

Children’s health and well-being are promoted well by staff. Staff ensure that healthcare plans identify children’s individual needs. Statutory health assessments have been completed, and children are supported fully to attend required medical appointments.

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improvement to be good

Staff support children to spend meaningful time with their families and significant people in their lives. Children are supported to manage any difficulties they may have with their family relationships. This helps children to feel supported through managing family dynamics and ensures that they maintain good-quality relationships with people who are important to them.

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improvement to be good

Children have individualised plans which identify risks to their safety and well-being and provide guidance for staff on how to manage these risks. However, some of the plans lack clarity. This has resulted in children not having common, specific and measurable goals that they are aiming to achieve.

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improvement to be good

Risk management plans and risk assessments do not set out clear strategies for staff to follow when children are at risk of harm. This means that not all staff are fully aware of the actions that they are required to take to keep children safe.

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improvement to be good

Education is promoted well in the home. Staff encourage and support education in line with children’s plans. Children spoke positively about their education and learning. A Headteacher said. ‘[Name of child] is much more settled and making progress. Staff have been responsive when school have requested additional support and information is shared on a daily basis.’

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improvement to be good

Children are supported to create memories with the staff. One child spoke positively about how they had celebrated their birthday and had a party at the home with friends. Staff help children capture their experiences in memory books. This enables children to have a record of their life story and assist them in remembering significant times in their lives when they are older.

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improvement to be good

The home and garden are not always maintained to a high standard. The inspectors found a discarded paddling pool in the garden filled with stagnant water and leaves. The gate to allow access to the area of the garden did not have a lock. Also, the Inspection report children's home: 2537058 4 concrete patio area was damaged and covered in a thick layer of moss. This is a hazard to children. Furthermore, some communal rooms in the home were locked restricting children’s access. This means that children do not have access to all shared areas of their home.

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improvement to be good

Children told inspectors they feel safe and are well cared for. Children are kept safe by the staff team when safeguarding issues arise. However, risk management plans do not provide enough detailed guidance to respond to risks. Despite being reviewed regularly, details and strategies are not updated when there has been an increase in incidents where children are at risk. This hinders the ability of the staff team to protect children effectively.

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improvement to be good

There have been a high number of physical restraints involving children. These are recorded and monitored by managers. However, the manager’s evaluation is often completed before the debrief with children and staff involved. This means that the manager is evaluating incidents before having all the relevant information.

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improvement to be good

Safer recruitment practices for new staff working at the home are not sufficiently robust. The registered manager has not demonstrated that all appropriate checks have been completed before staff working at the home. For example, there is no evidence that references are verified, and some application forms are incomplete. This does not ensure that the integrity of all staff has been thoroughly checked to keep children safe.

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improvement to be good

Positive behaviour support is not consistently promoted within the home. Sanctions are not always proportionate and at times encourage a restriction on children’s liberties. Although there is reported to be a culture of restorative practice promoted within the home, this is sporadic and inconsistent. As a result, children are not given clear guidance to help them manage their emotions and behaviour.

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improvement to be good

Safeguarding practice when children are missing is effective. Clear procedures are followed by staff to ensure that children are safely returned to the home. Relevant authorities are notified without delay.

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improvement to be good

Medication is not always administered in line with children’s prescription and records are confusing. This means that is not always clear if children have been given their correct medication.

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good

The current manager has been registered with Ofsted since March 2021. She is passionate about her role and has a good understanding of the needs of the children. Staff say that they feel supported, listened too and that communication is good. Inspection report children's home: 2537058 5 All staff receive supervision sessions and appraisals in accordance with the company’s policy and team meetings are held regularly. However, records lack reflection on practice. Objectives are not captured to support professional development or improve practice.

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good

There has been a high number of changes in staff, and shifts are regularly covered by the manager and by staff from other homes. This means that children are not cared for by a stable or consistent staff team. Most of the staff are unqualified and there has been a delay in enrolling some of them onto a suitable residential childcare qualification. This affects their ability to provide good-quality care.

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good

There is a lack of management evaluation to identify whether staff need to change their practice in response to incidents. The manager does not consistently monitor whether repeated sanctions are effective or consider if care plans and risk management plans are clear and accurate. This means that improvements to practice are not always identified and the agreed strategies implemented.

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good

The independent person visiting the home has not consistently requested feedback from children or external stakeholders. Their report lacks evaluation of practice, lacks important information about the safety of children and has not identified the risks present in the home and garden.

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good

The internal monitoring of the home requires improvement. Shortfalls are present in children’s records. The manager has been caring directly for children at times, and this has had an impact on her ability to regularly monitor standards within the home. Inspection report children's home: 2537058 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, the 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

understand the roles and responsibilities in relation to protecting children that are assigned to them by the registered person;

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Requirement Due date

that the premises used for the purposes of the home are located so that children are effectively safeguarded;

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Requirement Due date

that the premises used for the purposes of the home are designed, furnished and maintained so as to protect each child from avoidable hazards to the child’s health. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(v)(c)(d))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that risk management plans are updated, reviewed when not effective and provide the staff with clear strategies to keep children safe, taking into account children’s individual needs. 11 February 2022

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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

promotes their welfare. 11 February 2022 Inspection report children's home: 2537058 7 In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff work as a team where appropriate;

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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)(b)(h))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the manager ensuring that there are robust systems in place for monitoring and overseeing staff practice in the following areas: staff implementation of all agreed strategies to safeguard children and review and evaluation of practice, in particular relating to restraints and the use of consequences.

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Requirement Due date

children can access all appropriate areas of the children’s home’s premises; and

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Requirement Due date

any limitation placed on a child’s privacy or access to any area of the home’s premises—

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Requirement Due date

is intended to safeguard each child accommodated in the home;

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Requirement Due date

allows children as much freedom as is possible when balanced against the need to protect them and keep them safe. (Regulation 21 (b)(c)(i)(iv))

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Requirement Due date

This relates to the registered person ensuring that children can access the downstairs bathroom and that bathrooms upstairs are not kept locked when not in use. This also relates to staff ensuring that children are not restricted from rooms as a consequence of behaviours. 11 February 2022

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must make arrangements for the handling, recording, safekeeping, safe administration and disposal of medicines received into the children’s home.

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Requirement Due date

In particular the registered person must ensure that—

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Requirement Due date

medicine which is prescribed for a child is administered as prescribed to the child for whom it is prescribed and to no other child; and 11 February 2022 Inspection report children's home: 2537058 8 a record is kept of the administration of medicine to each child. (Regulation 23 (1) (2)(b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

Staff must ensure that children are given medicines in line with their prescription and that recording of medicine administration is accurate in the hard copy and electronic record.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety.

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Requirement Due date

the individual has the appropriate experience, qualification and skills for the work that the individual is to perform.

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Requirement Due date

For the purposes of paragraph (3)(b), an individual who works in the home in a care role has the appropriate qualification if, by the relevant date, the individual has attained—

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Requirement Due date

the Level 3 Diploma for Residential Childcare (England) ("the Level 3 Diploma") or

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Requirement Due date

a qualification which the registered person considers to be equivalent to the Level 3 Diploma.

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Requirement Due date

in the case of an individual who starts working in a care role in a home after 1st April 2014, the date which falls 2 years after the date on which the individual started working in a care role in a home. (Regulation 32 (3)(b) (4)(a)(b) (5)(a)) 11 February 2022

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Requirement Due date

within 24 hours of the use of a measure of control, discipline or restraint in relation to a child in the home, a record is made which includes—

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Requirement Due date

details of the child’s behaviour leading to the use of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

the date, time and location of the use of the measure; 11 February 2022 Inspection report children's home: 2537058 9 a description of the measure and its duration;

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Requirement Due date

details of any methods used or steps taken to avoid the need to use the measure;

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Requirement Due date

the name of the person who used the measure and of any other person present when the measure was used;

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Requirement Due date

the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

a description of any injury to the child or any other person, and any medical treatment administered, as a result of the measure.

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Requirement Due date

Within 48 hours of the use of the measure, the registered person, or a person who is authorised by the registered person to do so (“the authorised person”)—

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Requirement Due date

has spoken to the user about the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

has signed the record to confirm it is accurate; and

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Requirement Due date

within 5 days of the use of the measure, the registered person or the authorised person adds to the record confirmation that they have spoken to the child about the measure. (Regulation 35 (3)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(viii)(b)(i)(ii)(c))

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Requirement Due date

Schedule 4 sets out the other information that the registered person must keep in relation to a children’s home.

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Requirement Due date

maintain in the home the records in Schedule 4. (Regulation 37 (1)(2)(a))

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Requirement Due date

The provider needs to demonstrate all hours that all staff have worked on rotas including the registered manager. The provider must ensure that their admission and discharge book is filled in. 11 February 2022

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Requirement Due date

When the independent person is carrying out a visit, the registered person must help the independent person—

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Requirement Due date

to inspect the premises of the home and such of the home’s records (except for a child’s case records, unless the child 11 February 2022 Inspection report children's home: 2537058 10 and the child’s placing authority consent) as the independent person requires.

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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.

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Requirement Due date

The independent person’s report may recommend actions that the registered person may take in relation to the home and timescales within which the registered person must consider whether or not to take those actions. (Regulation 44 (2)(b) (4)(a)(b) (5))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the independent visitor should review the environment, including the garden, and identify any risks, hazards and restriction of access. The report should provide a clear statement of opinion and provide robust evaluation of practice in the home. Where action is not taken by the manager to meet recommendations, this should be escalated to the responsible individual.

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Recommendation

 The registered person should actively seek independent scrutiny of the home and make best use of information from internal monitoring to ensure continuous improvement. They should be skilled in anticipating difficulties and reviewing incidents, such as learning from disruptions and placement breakdowns. They are responsible for proactively implementing lessons learned and sustaining good practice. (‘Guide to the children’s homes regulations including the standards’, page 55, paragraph 10.24)

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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: 2537058 11

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Sandcastle Care Limited

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Children’s home details

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

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Inspectors

Jessica Higginson, Social Care Inspector Michelle Edge, Social Care Inspection Manager Inspection report children's home: 2537058 12 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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