Children's Home run by Sandcastle Care Limited in Lancashire

Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2595112 1 Sandcastle Care Limited

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Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is owned and managed by a large private provider. The home can provide care and support for up to two children with social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The manager has been registered with Ofsted since January 2022.

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This monitoring visit

During a full inspection on 19 and 20 April 2023, inspectors identified serious and widespread concerns around safeguarding practice and ineffective leadership and management oversight. As a result, four compliance notices were issued, under Section 22A of the Care Standards Act. These related to regulation 7, the children’s views, wishes and feelings standard, regulation 8, the education standard, regulation 12, the protection of children standard, and regulation 13, the leadership and management standard.

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This monitoring visit

The focus of this monitoring visit was to monitor and review the steps taken by the provider and registered manager to meet the compliance notices. At this visit, inspectors found that sufficient action has been taken to meet the compliance notices.

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This monitoring visit

Since the last inspection, leaders and managers have ensured that children know how to complain. Direct-work sessions have been undertaken with children to ensure that they understand the complaints process. Consultation is evidenced across all areas of care. Staff complete regular key-work sessions relevant to children’s individual needs.

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This monitoring visit

The registered manager has taken steps to ensure that children are supported to understand their care-planning arrangements. Children are encouraged to express their feelings and wishes about the care they receive. Furthermore, children are Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2595112 2 helped to contribute to decisions that affect their lives. The registered manager has involved children in staff appraisals and incident debriefs to help children feel listened to.

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This monitoring visit

Managers and staff assist children to understand the value of formal and informal learning. Children are provided with educational aids and equipment to support homework and revision tasks. Children are attending education settings in line with their individual plans and are making progress.

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This monitoring visit

Risk assessments have been updated to detail and contain clear and consistent actions for staff to take to minimise the risk of harm to children. The registered manager supports staff to understand their roles and responsibilities in safeguarding through reflective supervisions, team meetings and daily handovers.

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This monitoring visit

Children benefit from up-to-date plans that include their individual needs and specific strategies identified for staff to follow in practice.

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This monitoring visit

The registered manager has implemented robust monitoring systems. Incidents are reviewed and evaluated. Leaders, managers and staff are encouraged to learn from practice and consistently evaluate the quality of care that they provide.

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This monitoring visit

Staff have been encouraged to attend relevant needs-led training. Staff have been supported to understand, identify and act on signs that a child may be at risk of harm. Staff have received additional training in relation to sexual exploitation and internet safety.

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This monitoring visit

The other requirements were not considered as part of this visit and will be reviewed at the next inspection. Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2595112 3

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

19/04/2023 Full Inadequate 21/04/2022 Full Good 12/01/2022 Interim Sustained effectiveness 01/09/2021 Full Requires improvement to be good Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2595112 4

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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 with 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

that children are admitted to the home only if their needs are within the range of needs of children for whom it is intended that the home is to provide care and accommodation, as set out in the home's statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

ensure the effective induction of each child into the home;

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Requirement Due date

manage and review the placement of each child in the home; and

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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 each child's relevant plans are followed;

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Requirement Due date

that the child's placing authority is contacted, and a review of 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; or 21 August 2023 Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2595112 5 that staff help each child to access and contribute to the records kept by the registered person in relation to the child.

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Requirement Due date

Regulation 14(1)(a)(b)(2)(a)(b)(i)(ii)(iii)(c)(e)(i)(ii)(f)).

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, children should benefit from up to date placing authority care plans which inform care planning arrangements. Furthermore, children should have appropriately considered plans in place to support moves in and out of 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;

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Requirement Due date

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

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 21 August 2023 Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2595112 6 confirmation that they have spoken to the child about the measure.

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Requirement Due date

(Regulation 35 (3)(a)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vii)(b)(i)(ii)(c)).

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Requirement Due date

Any incidents of physical intervention should be recorded accurately and contain details of the child being consulted about the measure used. The registered person must maintain records ("case records") for each child which—

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Requirement Due date

include the information and documents listed in Schedule 3 in relation to each child;

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, children records should be accurately updated and reflect their journey through the home.

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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;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that the records are kept up to date;

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Requirement Due date

In particular, rotas must contain actual hours staff have worked including the registered manager.

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Information about this inspection

The purpose of this visit was to monitor the action taken and the progress made by the children’s home since its last Ofsted inspection.

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Information about this inspection

This inspection was carried out under the Care Standards Act 2000. Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2595112 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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Inspectors

Nichola Croft, Social Care Inspector Kayleigh Treanor, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children's home - monitoring visit: 2595112 8 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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Inspectors

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Inspectors

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Inspectors

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

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