Children's Home run by Sandcastle Care Limited in Blackpool

Inspection report for children’s home: 1184093 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 privately run home provides care for up to three children. The provider states in its statement of purpose that it provides care for children who may have social and/or emotional difficulties or learning difficulties. At the time of the inspection, one child was living in the home. The child spoke to the inspector about their experiences of living in the home.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager registered with Ofsted in October 2017.

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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

Overall judgement at last inspection: outstanding

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 1184093 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

23/03/2022 Full Outstanding 27/02/2020 Full Good 06/02/2019 Full Good 07/11/2017 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 1184093 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child is making good progress in all areas of their life. The child said they are ‘happy and feel safe’. They have lived in the home for several years and have been supported to develop positive relationships with the manager and staff.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The manager and staff advocate on behalf of the child. The child’s care plan is individualised and tailored to meet their needs. Weekly children’s meetings take place, where the staff talk to the child and seek their views, wishes and feelings. These views then contribute to their care. The child is supported to engage in a range of activities, such as riding bicycles, playing football, going for trips away and trying new activities. This helps the child to develop their social network and peer relationships.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child’s health and well-being are a priority. The child is supported to attend routine health appointments. They are helped to engage in weekly sessions with the therapist on targeted areas of work. This means the child is able to work through past trauma and have an understanding of their history.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Education is well promoted. The child living in the home and those who have recently moved on have made significant progress in their attendance and achievements, despite education being a challenge for them before moving into the home. Staff work collaboratively with teachers and other professionals to support children to achieve their educational targets.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The staff team has implemented clear, consistent rules and boundaries that are respected by the child. These routines enable the child to enjoy a balance between education, hobbies and spending time with their family and friends. One professional commented, ‘[Name of child] has been very well cared for by staff at the home. All of their needs have been met.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child is relaxed and comfortable in the home. Children’s bedrooms are personalised. This helps children to feel a sense of belonging and take pride in their personal space.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children move into the home in a carefully thought-out, planned way. However, since the last inspection, three children have moved on from the home in an unplanned way due to concerns that their individual needs could not be safely managed in the home. As a result, two children experienced abrupt endings, with one child not having the chance to say goodbye. This limits children’s positive experiences and has the potential to impact negatively on their emotional well-being and self-esteem. Inspection report for children’s home: 1184093 4

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

Staff are proactive in promoting the child’s safety and well-being. Managers and staff have a good understanding of children’s risk-taking behaviours and follow robust risk and behaviour support plans to reduce risks. Staff are trained in issues such as self- harm, online safety and supporting children who display sexually harmful behaviours. This enables the staff to keep children safe.

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

Staff know how to respond when children go missing from the home. They have taken appropriate action when children who previously lived in the home went missing. Staff have been proactive in locating children and encouraging their safe return in line with protocols. Children have the opportunity to speak to an independent person to share any worries. Staff are vigilant to potential triggers and implement clear strategies to reduce further incidents of children going missing.

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

Staff know how to respond to children’s behaviours. Incidents of staff holding the child to keep them safe are rare. When incidents do occur, they are low level and used as a last resort to keep children safe. The manager evaluates records and ensures that any measures that are used are necessary and proportionate.

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

Professionals are complimentary about the quality of care the children receive. One professional said, ‘[Name of child] has thrived in [Name of home’s] care following their support. Prior to moving here, he was physically restrained every day in other placements and experienced many placement moves. This is the most stable [Name of child] has been.’

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

Safeguarding incidents and allegations are well managed. The manager takes appropriate action and communicates effectively with other professionals to ensure that children are safe living in the home. However, there has been a delay in the notification of some serious incidents to Ofsted. This means that the regulator is unable to have sufficient oversight and scrutiny in a timely manner.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is suitably skilled and experienced. He holds the relevant qualification. He is child-centred and highly motivated, and he has good oversight over the child’s plans. He is approachable and open to new ideas. The manager ensures that the child is listened to.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is held in high regard by other professionals. He is respected by the staff team. Staff say they feel supported and enjoy being part of the team. One professional said, ‘I’ve nothing but praise for the home, the staff and the manager. The manager really understood [Name of child’s] needs straight away. He is a very skilled residential manager.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

All staff receive regular supervision, and they have recently had an annual appraisal. The majority of staff are qualified, and the ones who are not are working towards Inspection report for children’s home: 1184093 5 their childcare qualification. All staff are up to date with their training and take part in regular team meetings. This ensures that staff can reflect on their practice to continue to meet the needs of the children in their care.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager has robust monitoring systems in place to look at the strengths and weaknesses of the service. He takes swift action when any shortfalls arise. The manager reviews the home on a six-monthly basis. This gives a clear overview of the service but would benefit from having an action plan with set targets for the next six months. This would support the manager in further developing the service. Inspection report for children’s home: 1184093 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 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. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that children have the opportunity to experience a positive ending when moving on from the home. 9 April 2023

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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 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)  The registered person should ensure that the quality of care review includes clear targets and an action plan set for the next six months to enable continuous improvements in the home. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 65, paragraph 15.4)

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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: 1184093 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: 49 Whitegate Drive, Blackpool FY3 9DG

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Inspector

Julie Elder, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 1184093 8 regulates 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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