Children's Home run by Sandcastle Care Limited in Blackpool

Inspection report for children’s home: SC065313 1 SC065313 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 who can no longer live at home.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted on 22 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

Date of last inspection: 8 February 2022

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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: SC065313 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

08/02/2022 Full Good 18/07/2019 Full Good 11/07/2018 Full Outstanding 15/08/2017 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: SC065313 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Since the last inspection, one child has been supported to move out of the home. The registered manager decided that they could no longer support the child’s needs. The registered manager worked closely with the placing authority to implement plans and strategies to support the placement; however, this was not successful. The child’s placing social worker said, ‘Staff made every effort to safeguard [name of child] and tried hard to prevent the placement from ending.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff know the children well and invest time in them. The relationships between staff and children are nurturing. Children confirmed that they can identify a trusted adult who they can speak to about any worries or concerns they may have.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported to attend health appointments and are registered with local health services. Staff complete direct work with the children who do not attend health appointments to encourage them to attend. This direct work is effective, and children who have previously failed to attend appointments have now attended all planned appointments.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Medication records are in place, and staff document when medication has been disposed of. However, staff do not consistently record when medication has been administered or refused. A requirement is made to improve practice.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children attend an education provision and are supported to do so by the staff team. Children are learning and making progress, particularly with their social skills. The registered manager and staff work closely with the school. One child’s teacher said, ‘Communication is excellent. [Name of child] has come on in leaps and bounds.’ When education, health and care plans are not in place for children, the registered manager has escalated this. This has ensured that children have access to resources they require to achieve positive outcomes in their education.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are provided with a therapeutic care and support package. The manager and staff are trained to deliver this care. The children have individual plans that are implemented by the clinical psychologist. These plans are reviewed monthly. However, these plans are not fully embedded in the children’s daily living plan.

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

Some children have been missing from care. Individual missing-from-care plans help the staff understand the action they need to take to locate children and keep them safe. The manager works closely with other professionals to identify alternative strategies and actions to embed into practice. Consequently, missing-from-care incidents have been reduced. Inspection report for children’s home: SC065313 4 Individual risk assessments are in place. The assessments provide clear actions for staff to take to keep children safe. The manager ensures that risk assessments are regularly updated and reviewed following incidents. However, the documents contain information that is no longer relevant and is a chronology of events. Consequently, the lengthy document can lead to confusion for the reader.

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

When children present new risk-taking behaviours, the manager and staff respond proactively. The manager ensures that children are provided with reflective direct work. Appropriate referrals to outside agencies that provide specialised support are also made. As a result, this helps to reduce risk-taking behaviours.

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

There is a consequence and reward system in place in the home. The manager is reflective in her approach when evaluating consequences and their effectiveness. The system promotes and encourages positive behaviour. It is also used to support children to understand how their behaviour can affect others.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager is ambitious and leads by example. She has high expectations for children and what they can achieve. She also has high expectations for the staff team and their development. The staff team is stable and works together to provide a consistent and stable home for the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager has a good understanding of the skills, knowledge and expertise of the staff team. She can identify areas for development and additional training if required. All staff that work in the home have attended mandatory and refresher training. In addition, the company therapist has supported the manager to deliver therapeutic training to the staff team. This has developed their skills and knowledge.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager ensures that the home is appropriately staffed to meet the needs of the children. Staff are suitably vetted, and arrangements for recruitment are robust. This ensures that only suitable people work with the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive supervision monthly from an experienced manager or team leader. This is in line with the home’s statement of purpose. However, supervisions do not always provide staff with the opportunity to reflect on their practice or the needs of the children. In addition, although the manager holds team meetings monthly, these do not provide an opportunity for staff to reflect on their practice. Inspection report for children’s home: SC065313 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

The quality and purpose of care standard is that children receive care from staff who—

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Requirement Due date

understand the children’s home’s overall aims and the outcomes it seeks to achieve for children; and

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Requirement Due date

use this understanding to deliver care that meets children’s needs and supports them to fulfil their potential.

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, this relates to ensuring that the home’s therapeutic care plan’s strategies are embedded in the home’s placement plan. (Regulation 6 (1)(a)(b)) 02 December

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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

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Requirement Due date

a record is kept of the administration of medicine to each child.

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, this relates to ensuring that medication records are completed when a child has been administered medication or if a child has refused medication. (Regulation 23 (1) (2)(b)(c)) 2 December 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: SC065313 6

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Recommendations

 The registered person must have systems in place so that all staff receive supervision of their practice, which allows them to reflect on their practice and the needs of the children assigned to their care. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.2)

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that staff can access appropriate facilities and resources to support their training needs, particularly by ensuring that team meetings are reflective. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 53, paragraph 10.11)

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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: SC065313 7

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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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Inspector

Kimmy Feeley, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC065313 8 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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