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 home is one of several homes operated by a large private organisation. The provider states in the home’s statement of purpose that care is provided for up to two children who may have social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The home registered in July 2019. The manager has been in post since January 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: improved effectiveness

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good

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

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

15/03/2022 Interim Improved effectiveness 14/12/2021 Full Requires improvement to be good 14/01/2020 Full Good Inspection report children’s home: 2537058 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

At the time of the inspection, two children were living at the home. Since the last inspection, there have been no new children moving into or out of the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home is decorated to a high standard and children have personalised their bedrooms and the communal areas. The home provides a calm and welcoming environment. This helps children to feel safe and secure.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children make progress from their starting points. Managers have worked hard to ensure that staff understand the importance of providing a nurturing and stable environment for the children to thrive in. The changes made have improved the relationships between the children and the staff.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Education is promoted in the home and staff are aware of the local offer. One child is attending school on a full-time basis and is making progress. Another child is waiting to have an educational placement identified. This is limiting the child’s educational opportunities. Staff need to plan an effective timetable that provides the child with educational activities during the day while waiting for a formal educational provision.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff consider children’s wishes and feelings and promote family time sensitively. Children are encouraged to bring their friends to the home. Staff manage this well. This encourages children to spend quality time with their family and friends.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children engage in various activities that promote their talents, hobbies and interests. Children are encouraged to try new activities, which enhances their self- esteem and supports them to manage new situations.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children benefit from the family atmosphere in the home and the consistent staff team. Staff support the children to build on their life skills for their future and are helping them with goal planning, which prepares them for adulthood.

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

Safeguarding practices in the home have improved. Managers and staff are aware of their roles and responsibilities in keeping children safe. Children say that they feel safe living in the home and understand how to make a complaint should they need to.

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

Individual risk assessments are followed by staff, and strategies are effective in ensuring that children are safe. Appropriate safety and monitoring measures are in place to ensure that children are safeguarded. There are plans in place to reduce the risk of harm for each child. Inspection report children’s home: 2537058 4 Staff are trained in de-escalation techniques, and the interventions are effective in preventing incidents from escalating. Incident reports are appropriately detailed, and physical intervention is only used as a last resort to keep children safe.

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

Staff communicate well with other agencies and share information when necessary to ensure that children are safeguarded.

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

Staff strike an effective balance between the need for protection and enabling children to take reasonable risks in line with their age and stage of development. Risk management plans have improved and are now updated promptly to include relevant information. As a result, all staff are aware of recent events.

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

Safe and effective recruitment processes help to safeguard children. New staff members are well informed, and all staff receive regular supervision. Staff understand the safeguarding procedures, including the whistle-blowing policy. They are clear which partner agencies they need to liaise with to ensure that children are kept safe.

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

Children who go missing from home experience a coordinated response that reduces the risk of harm. There are clear individual missing-from-home plans. Staff ensure that parents and relevant partner agencies are made aware when children are missing from care. Staff search for children when they are missing, and they work hard to ensure that they safely return to the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is managed by a suitably qualified and experienced manager. The manager knows each child well and has created a warm and nurturing environment. Staff feel supported and speak positively about the manager as being a supportive and caring leader.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Children live in a home which is managed effectively. The home has been recently decorated throughout, which adds to the homely feel. Every effort is made to ensure that children receive the best possible care. The manager works very well with professionals. A social told the inspector, ‘I have been immensely impressed by the work of the team.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff routinely receive professional supervision, and regular team meetings are held to review practices in the home and the progress and experiences of children. All staff have engaged in a wide range of training that supports them to develop their knowledge of current issues affecting children in society.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Children’s case files are organised, up to date and easy to follow. The manager has worked hard to improve the monitoring systems in place. As a result, she has clearer oversight of the events in the home. The manager is swift to respond to safeguarding matters and involves relevant stakeholders. There is evidence of good communication and multi-agency working with schools, the police and placing authorities. Inspection report children’s home: 2537058 5

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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

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;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the records are kept up to date; and

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Requirement Due date

retain the records for at least 15 years from the date of the last entry. (Regulation 37 (1) (2)(a)(b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

This relates to ensuring that the rotas include the hours worked by the manager. 29 July 2022

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Recommendations

 The registered person should work closely with staff and the placing authority to ensure that children who are not participating in education because they have been excluded or are not on a school roll for some other reason are supported and enabled to resume full-time education as soon as possible. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 28, paragraph 5.15)

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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 6

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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 Limited, 49 Whitegate Drive, Blackpool FY3 9DG

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Inspector

Jessica Higginson, Social Care Inspector Inspection report children’s home: 2537058 7 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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