Children's Home run by Sandcastle Care Limited in Lancashire

Inspection report for children’s home: 1265128 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

A private company owns this home. It is registered to provide care for up to two children who may have emotional and social difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

There were two children living at the home at the time of the inspection.

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Information about this children’s home

The home has been registered since November 2017. There is currently no registered manager. There is a manager in post who is in the process of registering.

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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: 10 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: 1265128 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

10/11/2021 Full Good 03/09/2019 Full Good 15/03/2019 Interim Improved effectiveness 14/11/2018 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children’s home: 1265128 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Staff know the children well and always place the well-being of children at the centre of their practice. The children said that they are happy living in the home and that if they have a problem, they can talk to staff, who always help. One child said that living at the home has changed their life for the better.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Consequences are reasonable and appropriate, and the manager evaluates the effectiveness of the measures used to ensure that they are fair and proportionate. However, positive behaviour is not consistently promoted through praise and rewards, meaning that positive behaviour is not always encouraged.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are attending education, where they are making good progress. When the children face difficulties at school, the manager and staff work proactively with schools to address any issues. The manager has advocated for one child to ensure that they attend a provision that will meet their social and emotional needs in addition to their educational needs. However, the manager has not been proactive in challenging professionals for another child, so that they have the relevant educational plans in place to meet their needs.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Family time and time with friends are supported in line with agreed plans, which means that children can have relationships with those who are important to them. Children also enjoy access to a range of social and recreational opportunities in line with their hobbies and interests. This means that children have age-appropriate social interactions and can build skills and strategies to form and maintain relationships and gain a sense of their own identity.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

One child is supported and encouraged to develop their independence skills to help to prepare them for adulthood. This is done in a way that is compatible with the child’s age, ability and emotional needs. This targeted work helps to prepare them for adulthood and independent living.

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

Children have individualised behaviour support plans, which are detailed and give clear guidance to staff. Staff have demonstrated a good understanding of what the plans are.

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

When restraints are used, they are reasonable and proportionate. They are recorded appropriately, and all relevant professionals are notified. The manager has evaluated each incident of restraint and children are given the opportunity to have a debrief after a hold has taken place. However, debriefs focus on the child’s behaviour and do not ensure that the child understands the reason why a hold was necessary. In addition, staff are not always spoken to following the use of a restraint. Inspection report for children’s home: 1265128 4 Allegations and disclosures are responded to appropriately. The manager ensures that all relevant professionals are notified and that investigations take place, with the child’s well-being as a priority. However, there was one occasion where the staff member involved did not receive appropriate support following their involvement in an allegation.

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

There is a low number of missing-from-home episodes. On one occasion when a child was missing, staff acted proactively in line with their missing-from-care protocols, which ensured that the child was safely returned to the home. The manager and staff work collaboratively with external professionals, such as the local police and missing-from-home team, to ensure well-coordinated responses to missing episodes.

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

Staff ensure that children’s health needs are met and that they have access to local health services. Children are provided with therapeutic care and support, which is informed by the company therapist. This means that staff can effectively support the children’s individual needs.

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

Medication is stored and administered appropriately. However, the reason for why pain relief medication has been administered is not always recorded, which means that it cannot be effectively monitored.

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

Direct work sessions take place in relation to significant events that occur. However, there are missed opportunities for staff to proactively help children to understand how to keep themselves safe around issues such as substance misuse, sexual health and e-safety.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There is a manager in post, who has not yet registered with Ofsted. The manager has a good understanding of the children’s progress and needs. Staff described a supportive environment and said that the manager always prioritises children’s needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager makes use of effective internal and external monitoring systems to ensure that she has oversight of the home and can identify and address any shortfalls.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There has been a high turnover of staff. However, some staff have worked at the home for a long time. Therefore, the children have had consistency, which has supported them to feel settled and build positive relationships with staff who are new to the home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Team meetings are well attended and occur monthly. They cover topics that are relevant to the current matters within the staff team. They are used as a development opportunity for staff. Staff have clear responsibilities and accountabilities and have a sense of shared ownership of their practice. Inspection report for children’s home: 1265128 5 Staff receive frequent practice-based supervision. The quality of supervision would be enhanced if staff had the opportunity to reflect on their practice. A recommendation is made to address this.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There are some shortfalls in training. Not all staff have completed safeguarding training, and some staff have not completed training such as self-harm, e-safety and substance misuse training, to meet the individual needs of children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Plans for individual children comprehensively identify their needs. However, the most recent placing authority care plan was not available for one child.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager notifies Ofsted of significant events that occur at the home. However, these notifications are not always sent in a timely manner. This affects the external monitoring of children’s safety and welfare.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is a warm and welcoming environment and is a nice place for children to live. There are maintenance issues that need to be addressed to improve the environment for children. This is particularly in relation to decoration in the downstairs bathroom and a child’s bedroom. Inspection report for children’s home: 1265128 6

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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 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 promotes their welfare.

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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 staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child. (Regulation 13 (1)(a)(b) (2)(c))

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Requirement Due date

In particular, the registered person must ensure that staff have completed training to meet children’s individual needs. 20 March 2023

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must prepare and implement a policy (“the behaviour management policy”) which sets out—

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Requirement Due date

how appropriate behaviour is to be promoted in the children’s home: and

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Requirement Due date

the measures of control, discipline or restraint which may be used in relation to children in the home.

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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

details of the child’s behaviour leading to the use of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

the date, time and location of the use of the measure; 20 March 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: 1265128 7 a description of the measure and its duration;

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Requirement Due date

details of any methods used or steps taken to avoid the need to use the measure;

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Requirement Due date

the name of the person who used the measure ("the user"), and of any other person present when the measure was used;

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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

a description of any injury to the child or any other person, and any medical treatment administered, as a result of the measure;

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Requirement Due date

within 48 hours of the use of the measure, the registered person, or a person who is authorised by the registered person to do so ("the authorised person")—

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Requirement Due date

has spoken to the user about the measure; and

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Requirement Due date

has signed the record to confirm it is accurate; 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 (1)(a)(b) (2) (3)(a)(b)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(b)(i)(ii)(c))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that children understand why the use of a restraint was necessary. In addition, staff involved in a restraint must be given the opportunity to reflect on the use of the restraint.

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Requirement Due date

In meeting the quality standards, the registered person must, and must ensure that staff—

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Requirement Due date

seek to secure the input and services required to meet each child’s needs;

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Requirement Due date

if the registered person considers, or staff consider, a placing authority’s or a relevant person’s performance or response to be inadequate in relation to their role, challenge the placing authority or the relevant person to seek to ensure that each 20 March 2023 Inspection report for children’s home: 1265128 8 child’s needs are met in accordance with the child’s relevant plans. (Regulation 5 (b)(c))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must challenge professionals when children’s education, health and care plans and placing authority care plans are not received.

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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—

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Requirement Due date

help each child to understand how to keep safe; (Regulation 12 (1) (2)(a)(ii))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that children are supported to understand how to keep safe, through the use of direct-work sessions that are aimed at known risks. 20 March 2023

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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

a record is kept of the administration of medicine to each child. (Regulation 23 (2)(c))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that the reason why pain relief is given to children is recoded and monitored. 20 March 2023

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that the home environment meets the needs of the children and health and safety requirements. In particular, ensure that maintenance issues are addressed in a timely manner. (‘Guide to the Children’s Home Regulations, including the quality standards’ page 15, paragraph 3.9)  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 Inspection report for children’s home: 1265128 9 holiday. (‘Guide to the Children’s Home Regulations, including the quality standards’ page 63, paragraph 14.13)  The registered person should ensure that staff supervision enables staff to reflect and act on how their own feelings and behaviour may be affected by the behaviour of the children they care for, specifically following an allegation made

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Recommendations

against them. (‘Guide to the Children’s Home Regulations, including the quality standards’ page 39, paragraph 8.15)  The registered person should ensure that staff understand factors that affect children’s motivation to behave in a socially acceptable way. Staff should encourage an enthusiasm for positive behaviour through the use of positive behaviour strategies, such as praise and rewards. (‘Guide to the Children’s Home Regulations, including the quality standards’ page 39, paragraph 8.13)

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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: 1265128 10

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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

Katie Tomlinson, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 1265128 11 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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspector

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Inspector

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Inspector

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