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

Inspection report for children’s home: 2582250 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 a privately run children’s home. It provides care for up to two children with emotional and/or behavioural difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in October 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 lasted visited this setting in 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: 2582250 2

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Recent inspection history

Not previously inspected Inspection report for children’s home: 2582250 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Managers and staff know children very well and have positive relationships with them. Staff understand the effects of the trauma children have experienced and provide therapeutic support. The manager ensures that children live in a home that is caring and nurturing, helping them to overcome adverse experiences. Children have positive attachments to staff and the home; they feel safe there.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children lead healthy lifestyles that include exercising, playing sport and a balanced diet. One child was supported to lose weight and improve their fitness by joining a gym. This is a benefit to their well-being, boosting self-esteem and confidence. Staff ensure that children attend their healthcare appointments and know the children’s healthcare needs very well.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children have very good attendance records at school and are making good progress. Staff work closely with teachers to ensure consistency in setting boundaries and promoting positive behaviours. Staff encourage, praise and celebrate children’s progress and attainment in education.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff ensure that children enjoy regular and varied activities, including holidays. Some trips are combined with visiting relatives who live a long distance away. Enjoying good-quality time together strengthens the relationships between the staff and children.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are regularly asked in key-work sessions what they would like to do. When children change their mind or struggle with new opportunities, staff look for alternatives and provide encouragement. Time spent using electronic devices is structured to encourage children to think about the healthy use of them.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support children to join football clubs and enrol on programmes such as the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award and an eight-week community cooking skills class. This means children benefit from a diverse range of experiences that help to build resilience and independence. Staff actively promote the development of the skills learned by children to prepare for adulthood, work experience and greater independence.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Families are welcomed when they visit children or meet with them. Staff make sure that these important links are maintained by supporting meaningful family time. Families are complimentary about the quality of care provided and the progress children make.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is spacious, with a patio area where children can relax. Children like their bedrooms and have chosen new wallpaper and paint colours for them. There is ample communal space for children to relax and spend time with each other or staff. Inspection report for children’s home: 2582250 4

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

Managers and staff understand safeguarding, bullying and exploitation risks to children and how to reduce the potential impact of this. Staff are vigilant to the risks posed to children when they use the internet and electronic devices.

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

Staff help children to stay safe through good levels of supervision and talking with them about safety in key-work sessions. Staff know how to report concerns and the importance of this.

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

Staff ensure that children understand the reasons why staff have consistent boundaries and expectations. Professionals said the setting of and sticking to boundaries has helped children to settle and reduce the number of incidents of negative behaviours. There have been no physical interventions in the home.

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

The staff understand the effects of the trauma children have experienced and provide therapeutic support informed by best practice, overseen by a dedicated therapist. Positive behaviour support plans emphasise in detail how staff support children to regulate their emotions. This helps children to stay safe and make progress.

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

Risk assessments clearly identify any actions that staff need to take to help children to stay safe. Learning from incidents is used to further develop care plans and is discussed with staff in meetings and supervision sessions. This has led to a significant reduction in missing-from-home incidents for one child.

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

Children can engage in restorative practice when they have made mistakes. Staff encourage this and embrace suggestions from children when they want to put things right. This has helped both children make significant progress in learning to trust adults and develop compassion and empathy towards them.

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

The two children have developed a positive and respectful relationship with each other. They have become close and enjoy sharing experiences. Nevertheless, staff make sure that their individuality is recognised. Expectations of behaviour at the home and towards each other are made clear for children. The inspector observed children enjoying a meal together with staff and saw warm, positive and humorous interactions.

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

The home has been modernised with safety and security features. However, a door with a fire-closing device was not operating properly and required adjustment. Two other similar doors had doorstop wedges placed nearby. This would prevent the intended use to prevent the spread of fire. The regular checks of these devices had not identified this. The provider took immediate action to rectify this before the inspection ended.

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

There are enough staff to keep children safe. The staff team is very experienced and consistent; no agency staff are used. However, recruitment processes did not ensure Inspection report for children’s home: 2582250 5 that staff were always checked to find out the reasons for leaving previous jobs in supporting vulnerable children or adults.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is experienced and qualified for the role. Staff and children say that she is dedicated and kind. Staff regard her as a positive role model. There is a strong sense of teamwork and all staff said that there is an open and supportive atmosphere. This helps create a positive environment for the children to live in.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff are passionate about working at the home and are enthusiastic in supporting children to enjoy their lives and make progress. Relatives and professionals spoke about the positive impact on children and families because of the effort and dedication of the staff and the manager.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff have the skills and experience required to support the children well. Training takes places regularly and staff are encouraged to research good practice and share this with colleagues. Staff said that they feel confident they have the skills to keep children safe and develop the skills they need for independence.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive regular and detailed supervision and support, including setting development targets. However, when a shortfall in staff practice occurred in the administration of medicines, the manager has not demonstrated that the improvement work required had been completed with the member of staff concerned. The safeguards to ensure that this does not take place again are not sufficiently clear.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Managerial monitoring and assurance systems are improving to include the views of children in the development of the home. The leadership team meets regularly to review the learning from incidents. There is a culture of continual learning to help children achieve their potential.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

However, the independent person’s external monitoring needs improvement. The visitor has not included regular consultation with children, families or placing authorities and there is a lack of critical scrutiny. This does not drive improvement and reduces the additional safeguards intended. Inspection report for children’s home: 2582250 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

employ an individual to work at the children’s home; or

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Requirement Due date

if an individual is employed by a person other than the registered person to work at the home in a position in which the individual may have regular contact with children, allow that individual to work at the home,

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Requirement Due date

if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3).

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Requirement Due date

The requirements are that full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2. (Regulation 32 (2)(a)(b) (3)(d))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that if a person has previously worked in a position involving work with children or vulnerable adults, verification so far as reasonably practicable of the reason why the employment or position ended is obtained. 1 April 2022

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Requirement Due date

If the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005(1) applies to the home—

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Requirement Due date

the registered person must ensure that the requirements of that Order and any regulations made under it, except for article 23 (duties of employees), are complied with in respect of the home. (Regulation 25 (2) (b)) 1 March 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

if they consent, to interview in private such of the children, their parents, relatives and persons working at the home as the independent person requires. (Regulation 44 (2) (a)) 30 April 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: 2582250 7 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, ensure that staff trained to administer medicines have their competency to do so assessed after an error has been made. (Regulation 23 (1)) 1 April 2022

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that children’s homes are nurturing and supportive environments that meet the needs of their children. In particular, ensure that maintenance issues are resolved quickly, and the decoration and furnishings are updated as needed. (‘Guide to Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 15, paragraph 3.9)

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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: 2582250 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

Jamie Cousins, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2582250 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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