Children's Home run by Sandcastle Care Limited in Westmorland and Furness

Inspection report for children’s home: 2559023 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 owned and managed by a private organisation. It is registered to provide care for up to two children who may have emotional and/or social difficulties. The home is registered for single gender occupancy only.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in September 2022.

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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: 3 November 2021

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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: 2559023 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

03/11/2021 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2559023 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

There are currently two children living in the home. They are both making good progress against their targets. One child said, ‘I’ve been in many homes before, and this is by far the best. I was in a different place, but thanks to the staff, I am now doing much better.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff promote opportunities for children in the community. This includes volunteering for charity work and engaging with local youth clubs. This helps children to build self-confidence and develop their sense of belonging and purpose.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff complete scrapbooks for children to keep when they move on. This helps children to reflect on their experiences, achievements and life history.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff support children to attend their statutory reviews. This helps children to understand the progress they are making and their plans. An independent reviewing officer said, ‘It is one of the best residential homes that I have ever worked with.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Managers work proactively to secure suitable education provision for children. However, there is a need to ensure that there is an effective timetable that provides children with the necessary structure during normal school hours.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The manager regularly reviews children’s plans; however, not all children’s plans were up to date. Staff were unable to meet one child’s needs, and their placement ended prematurely.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff consult with children on a regular basis. As a result, areas of the home now reflect the children’s wishes and feelings and meet children’s needs. Children also say that staff listen to them, and they do lots of fun activities together.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The manager and staff are aware of the local offer for children with special educational needs and/or disabilities. This helps the team to access additional resources and activities for children.

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

The manager regularly reviews a location risk assessment to help identify any new risks or concerns in the area. This helps the manager to assess children’s suitability before they move into the home. A family support worker said, ‘They have matched the child to the home perfectly.’

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

Physical interventions are minimal and proportionate. Children and staff review incidents, which helps them to reflect and learn. This means that staff maintain positive and healthy relationships with children. Inspection report for children’s home: 2559023 4 Children say that they feel safe and supported living in the home. Staff have a strong response to safeguarding children and work closely with agencies. A social worker said, ‘Communication is brilliant, and I receive a weekly update report without fail.’

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

The registered manager promotes a positive safeguarding culture that helps to protect children. However, managers do not consistently report serious incidents to Ofsted within the required timescale. This means the regulator has no initial oversight of what action staff take to keep children safe.

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

Staff support children to stay safe online. They complete support sessions with children to talk about safe and healthy relationships. This raises children’s awareness of online harm and helps them to stay safe.

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

Staff follow detailed plans if a child is missing from home. This includes communicating with children’s friends, family and statutory agencies. As a result, staff respond well to children’s missing-from-home episodes and help to prevent repeat occurrences.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The registered manager is ambitious for children. They listen to children’s views and include them as part of staff appraisals. However, the manager does not evaluate or include the views of children’s parents and placing authorities when reviewing the quality of care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Children live in a welcoming, modern and homely environment. The manager makes improvements to maintain a domestic rather than an institutional impression.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff receive regular supervision and appraisal. They feel fully supported in their role and enjoy working at the home. This helps to retain staff and keep them motivated. They also attend regular team meetings, which helps staff to discuss current issues and practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager learns from serious incidents and placement successes and breakdowns. They evaluate incidents and discuss their learning with the staff team. This helps to continually improve the experiences of children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager promotes children’s understanding of equality and diversity. Children celebrate cultural events through arts, crafts, quizzes and meals. This enhances children’s awareness of different cultures through a positive and inclusive experience.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

A passionate staff team enjoys providing care for children with complex needs and takes great pride in its work. One member of staff said, ‘I have enjoyed working here and learned a lot. As a staff team, we are completely on it.’ Inspection report for children’s home: 2559023 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, 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 education standard is that children make measurable progress towards achieving their educational potential and are helped to do so.

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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 achieve the child’s education and training targets, as recorded in the child’s relevant plans;

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Requirement Due date

understand the barriers to learning that each child may face and take appropriate action to help the child to overcome any such barriers;

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Requirement Due date

help each child to attend education or training in accordance with the expectations in the child’s relevant plans. (Regulation 8 (1) (2)(a)(i)(iii)(x)) 9 March 2023

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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; and

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Requirement Due date

have a positive experience of arriving at or moving on from the 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

plan for, and help, each child to prepare to leave the home or to move into adult care in a way that is consistent with arrangements agreed with the child’s placing authority;

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Requirement Due date

that the child’s placing authority is contacted, and a review of 9 March 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: 2559023 6 that child’s relevant plans is requested, if—

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Requirement Due date

the registered person considers that the child is at risk of harm or has concerns that the care provided for the child is inadequate to meet the child’s needs;

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Requirement Due date

the child is, or has been, persistently absent from the home without permission. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(b)(iii)(e)(i)(ii))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person should ensure that children’s relevant plans are up to date and reviewed accordingly. They should also ensure that children have a positive experience when moving on from the home.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must notify HMCI and each other relevant person without delay if—

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Requirement Due date

a child is involved in or subject to, or is suspected of being involved in or subject to, sexual exploitation;

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Requirement Due date

an incident requiring police involvement occurs in relation to a child which the registered person considers to be serious;

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Requirement Due date

there is an allegation of abuse against the home or a person working there;

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Requirement Due date

a child protection enquiry involving a child—

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Requirement Due date

concludes (in which case, the notification must include the outcome of the child protection enquiry); or

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Requirement Due date

there is any other incident relating to a child which the registered person considers to be serious. (Regulation 40 (4)(a)(b)(c)(d)(i)(ii)(e))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person should ensure that all serious notifications are submitted to HMCI without delay. 28 February 2023

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Recommendation

 The registered person should undertake a review of the quality of care every six months that is informed by the opinions of children, their parents, placing authorities and staff. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 64, paragraph 15.2) Inspection report for children’s home: 2559023 7

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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: 2559023 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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Children’s home details

Responsible individual: Jacqueline Titterington

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Inspector

Mark Woodbridge, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2559023 9 and inspects 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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