Children's home run by Aspris Care North West Limited

Inspection report for children’s home: 1262657 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

This home is one of a number of homes operated by a large private organisation. The provider states in its statement of purpose that it provides care for up to two children who may have social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

There is a registered manager in place who registered with Ofsted in August 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

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 1262657 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

05/01/2023 Full Good 25/10/2022 Full Inadequate 03/03/2022 Full Good 07/01/2020 Full Outstanding Inspection report for children’s home: 1262657 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The manager and staff know the children well, and providing a high quality of care is a priority in this home. Staff were observed to be interacting with children in a warm, respectful and child-centred manner. This enables children to build trusting and positive relationships with staff. One child said, ‘They really do care.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Before children move into the home, the manager thoroughly reviews the information provided to assess whether the staff can meet the child’s needs. The manager also ensures that the needs of the child are compatible with those of the children already living in the home. This results in a stable and settled environment.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The home has a therapist who is an integral part of the team and provides children with weekly individual therapeutic support. This support helps children develop better strategies to regulate their feelings more positively. The therapist supports staff to understand the home’s therapeutic formulation model. Staff are able to discuss how they incorporate this therapeutic learning into their day-to-day practice. This results in consistent care being provided.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Before moving into this home, children had sporadic or non-attendance at school. Children now attend educational provision that is tailored to meet their individual needs. This supports children’s learning and development opportunities.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are supported to maintain contact with family members, and family time is supported by staff. Positive relationships between children, parents and staff have developed. In relation to the care provided to their child and family time, one parent said, ‘The manager and staff are unbelievable, and I am forever thankful.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The physical environment of the home is warm, welcoming and furnished to a very high standard. It is made to feel like a family home, with photos on the walls. Children are encouraged to personalise their bedrooms.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children are consulted individually and together. Their views are welcomed, taken into account and acted on.

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

Children say that they feel safe. Staff build positive and genuine relationships with them. This helps children to develop trust in the staff, which makes them feel safe and protected.

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

Risk assessments identify children’s individual risks and vulnerabilities and set out clear actions that should be taken to address and reduce those risks. Staff understand children’s individual needs and they respond well to emerging risks. For Inspection report for children’s home: 1262657 4 example, they implemented an individual safety plan to keep a child safe within the community.

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

Staff are aware of children’s past experiences, and children receive help and support to manage their behaviours safely. Direct-work sessions educate children about how to keep themselves safe. Consistent boundaries in the home provide children with clear expectations in relation to behaviour. This provides children with reliable, predictable and safe care.

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

Staff use their positive relationships with children to de-escalate incidents. This means that the use of physical intervention is rare. On the one occasion that this has occurred, it was appropriate and proportionate. However, the record of restraint did not include a child debrief and had some information missing.

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

On the few occasions when a child has gone missing from the home, there has been a well-coordinated response. Records show that staff understood the procedures to follow in trying to locate the child. Records demonstrate professional curiosity from staff when speaking with the child on their return home.

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

Staff receive safeguarding training. This training has provided them with the skills and knowledge to care for children safely. Staff were able to discuss the safeguarding process and procedure to follow if a child makes an allegation.

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

The manager ensures that all serious events are notified to the regulator. However, these need to be sent in a timely manner, without delay.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The home is managed by a passionate, child-centred and suitably qualified manager. He is respected by his staff, who say they are well supported and staff morale is high. Children benefit from this environment.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Team meetings take place regularly; they are structured and well attended. The agenda is varied but always includes discussions about the children and supports staff to reflect on their practice. The therapist attends the monthly team meetings to provide therapeutic input. The therapist also provides workshops on topics relevant to emerging issues for children. For example, a workshop was completed on the cycle of grief, loss and suicide, which enables staff to support children’s emotional well-being.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Good-quality practice-related supervision ensures that staff understand their roles, the needs of the children and how best to support them. This helps staff to put skills and learning into practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Most of the staff hold the relevant childcare qualification. Children benefit from the care being provided by experienced and qualified staff members. However, one staff Inspection report for children’s home: 1262657 5 member has exceeded the time expectations to complete this childcare qualification. A plan is in place for them to complete this.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The manager is a good advocate and is proactive in escalating any issues to obtain services and support for children. For example, he escalated requests for meetings with the local authority to address developing concerns for one child.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

There is good multi-agency work. A range of professionals, as well as birth family members, are extremely complimentary about the standard of care provided to children. One professional said, ‘This is one of the best homes I have worked with in my career.’ Inspection report for children’s home: 1262657 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, 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

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

the date, time and location of the use of the measure;

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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 (3)(a)(iii)(c))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, the registered person must ensure that children are spoken to following any measure of control and that the records relating to measures of control are completed fully. 31 January 2024

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Recommendations

 The registered person should have a system in place so that all serious events are notified within twenty-four hours to the appropriate people. (‘Guide to Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 63, paragraph 14.13)  The registered person should ensure that they maintain good employment practice. Specifically, they should ensure that staff complete their NVQ level 3 within the expected timescales. (‘Guide to Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.1)

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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 Inspection report for children’s home: 1262657 7 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: 1262657 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Sandcastle Care Ltd

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: The Forge, Church Street West, Woking, Surrey GU21 6HT

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Inspector

Nicola Clements, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 1262657 9 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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