Children's Home run by Sandcastle Care Limited in Rochdale

Inspection report for children's home: 2581296 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 home is part of a large organisation. The home provides care for one child who may have social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

There is a manager in place who registered with Ofsted in November 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: 26 October 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: 2581296 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

26/10/2021 Full Good Inspection report for children's home: 2581296 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

At the time of the inspection, there was one child living at the home. They have lived there for almost two years. The home is warm and welcoming and feels like a family home. The child has photos of themselves and their family on the wall and their bedroom is personalised. This gives the child a sense of belonging.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child is receiving good-quality care. The home’s internal placement plan for the child is detailed and is informed by the home’s therapist. However, some of the information in the plan is inaccurate, so staff do not have the most up-to-date information about the child’s needs. A requirement has been made.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

There is a small and consistent staff team. The staff have good relationships with the child. The child will often call staff by family names, for example, grandma and uncle.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child has made progress from their starting point. The child has an identified education provision and, until a recent incident, they were attending with other children for the first time in their secondary education. The manager and staff team have positive relationships with the school and are working together to improve attendance.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child’s health needs are met. They are registered with all the primary healthcare services and they attend appointments as necessary.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child has opportunities to express their views and wishes. Weekly conversations take place where the child can decide on meals and activities. Additionally, the child is regularly consulted about their care. This allows staff and managers to monitor the quality of care and identify any shortfalls.

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

Staff have good knowledge of the child’s risks. Written risk assessments are detailed and give staff clear strategies to manage risk. Risk assessments are constantly reviewed to ensure they reflect the child’s current risks.

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

The child’s incidents of going missing from this home have reduced significantly. When the child does go missing from home, staff follow the missing-from-home protocol, which includes clear strategies. Staff actively search for the child and encourage them to return to the home.

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

Staff manage challenging behaviour effectively. When incidents occur, staff use de- escalation techniques to prevent the incident from becoming more serious. The child has clear and consistent boundaries. There is often a lack of consistent routine in Inspection report for children's home: 2581296 4 the child’s day, however, staff work hard to try to implement structure and promote activities in line with the child’s interests.

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

The home environment is safe. Staff complete regular checks to ensure the environment is safe and free from hazards. This includes holding regular fire drills to ensure children know what to do in an emergency.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There is a registered manager in place. He is qualified and has a wealth of experience.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager knows the child well and is child-centred in his approach. The manager and staff team have high ambitions for the child and are able to recognise the progress the child has made.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There is a stable staff team and most staff have worked at the home since the child moved there. The staff team is committed to the child. All the staff have a relevant qualification or are working towards one. Staff are provided with a wide range of training that is specific to the child’s individual needs. This provides staff with the essential skills and knowledge for their roles.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager knows the home’s strengths and weaknesses. He has implemented an effective monitoring system which allows shortfalls to be identified and plans to be put in place to address them. The manager’s monitoring of incidents is evaluative, which allows him to identify effective strategies in managing behaviour.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager and staff have regular supervision when they discuss the child and their needs. Supervision allows staff to reflect on their practice and identify any learning and development needs. Managers conduct appraisals with staff on an annual basis, however, these could be further improved by ensuring the views of children are included. A recommendation has been made. Inspection report for children's home: 2581296 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 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

manage and review the placement of each child in the home. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(b)(ii))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to ensuring children’s internal placement plans are reviewed and updated. 9 April 2023

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Recommendation

 The registered person should ensure that the views of other professionals who have worked with staff over the year and the views of children who have been cared for at the home are included in staff appraisals. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.5)

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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: 2581296 6

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Sandcastle Care Ltd

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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

Rachael Crook, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home: 2581296 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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