Children's Home run by Sandcastle Care Limited in Blackpool

Inspection report for children’s home: SC363398 1 SC363398 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 home provides care for up to four children who may experience a range of learning, emotional and/or physical difficulties. There were four children living in the home at the time of this inspection.

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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: SC363398 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

21/03/2023 Full Outstanding 11/01/2022 Full Outstanding 03/12/2019 Full Outstanding 20/02/2019 Interim Sustained effectiveness Inspection report for children’s home: SC363398 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

One child has moved into the home since the last inspection. This was well planned and sensitive to the child’s needs. It included the child visiting the home and the manager ensuring that she had the information needed to make a decision as to whether the child’s needs could be met at the home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children and staff team will be moving to a new home run by the company. The children have been given lots of notice for this move and the staff have worked to ensure that children are prepared and excited for their move. Children visit their new home often and have been taking some of their belongings, personalising their bedrooms and enjoying time together. The staff have provided individual support to each child to ensure that they understand that they are moving and to make it a positive experience.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The existing home has lots of communal space that the children can enjoy. However, there are locks on internal doors, which restrict children’s access to areas of their home.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children communicate in a variety of ways and the staff understand children well. The positive relationships that the staff have with the children provide a basis for children to feel comfortable and to develop their verbal language skills.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The manager and staff work hard to ensure that children have a voice and they are updated on issues that affect them. Children are consulted with on their statutory reviews. However, children do not have independent advocates who can support them to ensure their views, wishes and feelings are taken into account in the major decisions made about their lives.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Children enjoy lots of positive activities in the community and during the school holidays three of the children attend a football club. Children’s individual hobbies and talents are nurtured by the staff. Children have also enjoyed breaks in the summer holidays to London and to a theme park.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The children and staff team are supported by the organisation’s therapist who develops plans for the children. These plans include a focus on meeting children’s sensory needs. However, there is no guidance for staff on what the children’s needs are and how they are to be met.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

All children attend school full time and are making good progress. When there have been difficulties with school, the staff have worked closely with external professionals to address these swiftly and bridge any gaps with home education. Inspection report for children’s home: SC363398 4

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

Children are happy and settled in their home and the staff understand them well. Children’s plans are clear for staff to follow and show a reduction in risks over time.

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

Incidents with children are rare and only one incident has resulted in the use of physical intervention, which was necessary and proportionate. This shows that staff are able to de-escalate situations well. Children are spoken to following incidents and any consequences put in place are reviewed for effectiveness by the manager.

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

Children generally get on well. However, any conflict between children is quickly addressed by the staff and children are encouraged to repair their relationships. The staff ensure that children are encouraged and supported to develop skills in all areas of their lives, including their independent living skills.

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

Children are supported to manage their behaviour and to make the right choices. Staff provide clear boundaries so that children understand what is acceptable and what is not. Children’s behaviour support guidelines are clear for staff to follow and identify children’s individual triggers, so that these can be avoided.

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

The manager and staff work closely with others to ensure that there is a strong multi-agency approach to supporting children. The staff have a good understanding of the organisation’s child protection policies. This ensures that children are safe.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

As the children and staff are moving to another home, the manager will be applying for registration at that home. Therefore, there is currently no registered manager at this home.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

The structure of the staff team means that there is always a senior member of staff on duty. Although there have been staff changes since the last inspection, the manager has worked hard to ensure that the effect on children has been reduced. Additionally, use of agency staff has been minimal. However, the manager has not had overview of staff who have transferred from other homes in the organisation to assure herself that they are suitable to work with the children.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

Staff say that they feel supported and receive regular supervision. However, not all staff have attended autism training, which is essential when working in this home due to the children’s needs.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: good

New staff to the home have a thorough induction process which supports them in their roles and provides them with the guidance necessary to support the children effectively. Team meetings are held regularly and ensure that the staff receive the information they need. Inspection report for children’s home: SC363398 5 The manager has good systems in place to ensure robust monitoring of the home and uses information from visits by the independent person and professional feedback to make continuous improvements. Inspection report for children’s home: SC363398 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

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

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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

This relates specifically to all staff attending training on autism. 22 March 2024

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Requirement Due date

the privacy of children is appropriately protected;

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Requirement Due date

children can access all appropriate areas of the children’s home’s premises; and

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Requirement Due date

any limitation placed on a child’s privacy or access to any area of the home’s premises—

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Requirement Due date

is intended to safeguard each child accommodated in the home;

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Requirement Due date

is kept under review and, if necessary, revised; and

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Requirement Due date

allows children as much freedom as is possible when balanced against the need to protect them and keep them safe. (Regulation 21 (a)(b)(c)(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)) 22 March 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: SC363398 7 This relates to the removal of locks on doors to communal areas.

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must recruit staff using recruitment procedures that are designed to ensure children’s safety.

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Requirement Due date

employ an individual to work at the children’s home; or

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Requirement Due date

if an individual is employed by a person other than the registered person to work at the home in a position in which the individual may have regular contact with children, allow that individual to work at the home,

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Requirement Due date

if the individual satisfies the requirements in paragraph (3).

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Requirement Due date

the individual is of integrity and good character;

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Requirement Due date

the individual has the appropriate experience, qualification and skills for the work that the individual is to perform;

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Requirement Due date

the individual is mentally and physically fit for the purposes of the work that the individual is to perform; and

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Requirement Due date

full and satisfactory information is available in relation to the individual in respect of each of the matters in Schedule 2. (Regulation 32 (1) (2)(a)(b) (3)(a)(b)(c)(d))

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Requirement Due date

This relates specifically to the manager ensuring that she is satisfied that staff joining the home on internal transfers are suitable to work with the children. 22 March 2024

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that all children have access to appropriate advocacy support to ensure they have the support needed to express their views, wishes and feelings about their care and lives, regardless of their complex needs. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 23, paragraph 4.16)  The registered person should ensure that each child’s day-to-day health and well- being needs are met, including the sensory needs of all children as outlined in Inspection report for children’s home: SC363398 8 their plans. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 33, paragraph 7.3)

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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: SC363398 9

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Sandcastle Care Limited

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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

Kerri Lynch, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: SC363398 10 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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