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

Inspection report for children’s home: 2582246 1 Registered provider: Sandcastle Care Ltd Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The children’s home is owned by a private organisation.

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Information about this children’s home

The home can provide care for up to two children with social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager has been in post since March 2020.

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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

Overall judgement at last inspection: improved effectiveness

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2582246 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

30/03/2022 Interim Improved effectiveness 01/09/2021 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children’s home: 2582246 3

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improvement to be good

At the time of inspection, there were two children living in the home. Since the last inspection, one child has moved on due to an increase of risk-taking behaviour.

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improvement to be good

There are planned transitions in and out of the home. Children have the opportunity to visit and meet staff prior to moving in. Impact risk assessments are detailed, but they do not appropriately consider and evaluate children’s individual and collective risks. Assessments also do not include a clear rationale around decision-making.

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improvement to be good

Children’s plans contain lots of information. However, this information is not always consistent and does not correspond with information in children’s other records. Risk assessments and behaviour support plans are not consistently updated following incidents, and the strategies to manage and reduce risks are not reviewed and evaluated.

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improvement to be good

Children’s health needs are promoted by staff. Statutory health assessments have been completed and staff have supported children to complete identified actions. Staff ensure that children are supported to attend all medical appointments in line with their relevant healthcare plans.

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improvement to be good

Children are supported to enjoy a variety of activities and engage with the wider community. Children enjoy horse-riding, drama clubs and camping trips. Children have recently taken part in a charity walk along with those who care for them. This has encouraged positive and trusting relationships in the home.

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improvement to be good

Children are attending school full time and are making progress. The children’s education plans are reviewed, and specialist provisions have been accessed to support children’s learning. Incidents in school are not reflected in children’s records and risk assessments, and there is no consideration of risks presented outside of the home.

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improvement to be good

Managers and staff support children to have positive relationships with family. Staff are proactive in making the necessary arrangements for children to spend time with those people that are important to them. One child stated, ‘Getting to see my family has been the best thing about the home. Staff have really supported me to see them all again.’

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improvement to be good

Children said that they feel safe and well cared for. Children share that they are happy in the home and said that they can talk to staff if they have any concerns. Children said that staff listen to them and help them. Inspection report for children’s home: 2582246 4 The response to risk is not sufficient. Leaders and managers do not effectively monitor and evaluate risks, including self-harm and child exploitation. Risk assessments do not contain relevant information and do not set out the actions to take to reduce risk. This means that children are vulnerable to harm.

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improvement to be good

Physical intervention is rare in the home and used as a last resort to keep children safe. However, children are not always spoken to within appropriate timescales following an incident and are not spoken to about the measure used. The child’s experience of physical intervention is not always considered.

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improvement to be good

Positive behaviour is promoted in the home, although children are not always given clear boundaries. Children are not supported to understand appropriate behaviours and what is safe and acceptable. Leaders and managers do not review children’s risk management plans following incidents, and there is no evidence that there are lessons learned to improve practice.

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good

The home is managed by a qualified and experienced manager. The manager has brought together a warm and nurturing team that is child centred. Staff feel supported and valued by their manager and describe the manager as caring and approachable.

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good

Leaders and managers do not regularly review children’s relevant plans. This means that plans are out of date or not available. The manager requested information from the placing authority during the inspection. However, prior to the inspection, no action had been taken to request the missing documentation.

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good

Supervision of staff is regular, and staff share that those sessions are supportive and valued by the staff team. Staff are suitably skilled, trained and experienced to meet the needs of the children.

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good

Although the registered manager is monitoring the quality of care provided there are shortfalls because the registered manager is not using learning from practice to consistently inform the quality of care provided for children. In addition, previous requirements had not been met and are restated. The lack of action taken impacts on the quality of children’s experiences and the care that they receive.

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good

Furthermore, the home is not maintained to a high standard. The registered manager has not ensured that damage to the property is repaired, or that outstanding repairs are completed, within appropriate timescales. Inspection report for children’s home: 2582246 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 positive relationships standard is that children are helped to develop, and to benefit from, relationships based on—

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Requirement Due date

an understanding about acceptable behaviour.

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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

help each child to develop socially aware behaviour;

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Requirement Due date

encourage each child to take responsibility for the child’s behaviour, in accordance with the child’s age and understanding;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to develop and practise skills to resolve conflicts positively and without harm to anyone;

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Requirement Due date

communicate to each child expectations about the child’s behaviour and ensure that the child understands those expectations in accordance with the child’s age and understanding;

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Requirement Due date

de-escalate confrontations with or between children, or potentially violent behaviour by children. (Regulation 11 (1)(b) (2)(a)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(xi))

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Requirement Due date

This is a repeated requirement, and relates specifically to staff supporting children in a positive way following incidents to understand acceptable and appropriate behaviour. 7 December 2022

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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— 7 December 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: 2582246 6 that staff—

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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

take effective action whenever there is a serious concern about a child’s welfare. (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(i)(vi))

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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

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the home’s workforce provides continuity of care to each child;

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Requirement Due date

understand the impact that the quality of care provided in the home is having on the progress and experiences of each child and use this understanding to inform the development of the quality of care provided in the home;

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Requirement Due date

demonstrate that practice in the home is informed and improved by taking into account and acting on—

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Requirement Due date

research and developments in relation to the ways in which the needs of children are best met; and

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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)(e)(f)(g)(i)(h))

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Requirement Due date

This is a repeat requirement. This relates to leaders and managers ensuring that the care provided is regularly reviewed and evaluated; managers should use any learning to improve the practice and care provided. In addition, the registered manager should ensure that relevant plans and records are accurate and up to date. Managers are to review and appropriately act on any known risks to children. The manager and responsible individual should take action to 7 December 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: 2582246 7 repair any damages in the home so that the home is maintained to a high standard.

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Requirement Due date

The care planning standard is that children—

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Requirement Due date

receive effectively planned care in or through the children’s home.

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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

that each child’s relevant plans are followed. (Regulation 14 (1)(a) (2)(c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person should ensure that children’s relevant plans are up to date and in place. 7 December 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

the effectiveness and any consequences of the use of the measure; 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)(vii)(c))

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Requirement Due date

This is a repeat requirement. 7 December 2022

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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

In particular, the registered person must include the placing authorities for each child within the admissions and discharge register. 7 December 2022 Inspection report for children’s home: 2582246 8

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Recommendations

 The registered person should have a system in place so that all serious events are notified, within 24 hours, to the appropriate people. The system should cover the action that should be followed if the event arises at the weekend or on a public holiday. Notification must include details of the action taken by the home’s staff in response to the event. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 63, paragraph 14.13)

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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: 2582246 9

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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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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Penelope Rafferty

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Inspector

Nichola Croft, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2582246 10 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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