Children's Home run by Sandcastle Care Limited in Lancashire

Inspection report for children’s home: 2590726 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

The home is run by a private organisation and is registered to care for up to two children with social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The registered manager has been in post since 30 January 2024.

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Overall experiences and progress of

children and young people, taking into account

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requires improvement to be good

How well children and young people are helped and protected requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The effectiveness of leaders and managers requires improvement to be good

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requires improvement to be good

The children’s home is not yet delivering good help and care for children and young people. However, there are no serious or widespread failures that result in their welfare not being safeguarded or promoted.

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requires improvement to be good

Date of last inspection: 8 February 2023

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requires improvement to be good

Overall judgement at last inspection: good

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requires improvement to be good

Enforcement action since last inspection: none Inspection report for children’s home: 2590726 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

08/02/2023 Full Good 08/06/2021 Full Outstanding Inspection report for children’s home: 2590726 3

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improvement to be good

At the time of the inspection there were no children living at the home. Two children moved out of the home in August 2023, due to insufficient staffing. The moves were unplanned and created some instability for the children.

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improvement to be good

During the inspection period, one child was not in school for several months. The action taken by leaders and managers to support the child’s return to school was ineffective. Leaders and managers have not been able to demonstrate that they advocated for the child to return to school. In addition, the child was not provided with resources to enable them to participate in alternative education activity at the home.

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improvement to be good

When children live at the home, children’s meetings take place routinely and provide them with an opportunity to contribute to decisions about their day-to-day care. Attendance at these meetings helps children to express their views in a positive way.

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improvement to be good

Children are supported to spend time with members of their family. This engagement with family helps children maintain relationships with people who are important to them.

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improvement to be good

There has been one allegation made during the inspection period. This has been managed well by leaders and managers. In accordance with statutory guidance, a thorough investigation has taken place and the child has been informed of the outcome.

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improvement to be good

A new team has been recruited to ensure that there are sufficient staff to care for children. Leaders and managers understand that their experience and knowledge of safeguarding practices are varied. They have put in place measures, such as staff training and a review of safeguarding practices, to ensure that staff can competently meet children’s needs. As there are no children living at the home, the ability of staff to safeguard children cannot be assessed.

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improvement to be good

Pre-employment checks for new employees are completed with consideration to safer recruitment practice. However, leaders and managers have not consistently ensured that gaps in staff’s employment history have been explored.

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improvement to be good

Leaders, managers and staff routinely complete health and safety checks in the home to ensure that the physical environment is safe for children. However, the manager has not consulted with partners such as the police to understand risks to children in the community. Inspection report for children’s home: 2590726 4 When physical restraint is used, leaders and managers review incidents to ensure that staff have acted in accordance with statutory guidance. This reduces the risk of children experiencing unnecessary harm and distress.

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good

There have been changes to the staffing arrangements since the last inspection. The registered manager resigned from their post, leaving the home in July 2023. In August 2023, the remaining staff team resigned, leaving only the newly appointed manager, who became the registered manager in January 2024.

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good

A detailed training induction programme is being delivered to the staff team. This covers areas such as safeguarding, positive behaviour support, fire safety and first aid. At the time of the inspection, not all staff had completed the training but were scheduled to complete it before children move into the home.

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good

Formal practice-led supervision has not taken place regularly in accordance with the organisation’s statement of purpose. This is a missed opportunity for managers to consider gaps in staff’s practice and to put in place plans for their development.

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good

Management oversight of the home has been poor. Monitoring systems have not been used effectively to identify shortfalls in staff’s practice and performance, and to ensure that the quality of care provided to children is good. The new manager and responsible individual understand the home’s strengths and weaknesses and have introduced systems to monitor the running of the home and the care and support that children receive. Inspection report for children’s home: 2590726 5

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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

In particular, the standard in paragraph (1) requires the registered person to—

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Requirement Due date

lead and manage the home in a way that is consistent with the approach and ethos, and delivers the outcomes, set out in the home’s statement of purpose;

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Requirement Due date

ensure that staff have the experience, qualifications and skills to meet the needs of each child;

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Requirement Due date

use monitoring and review systems to make continuous improvements in the quality of care provided in the home. (Regulation 13 (1)(b) (2)(a)(c)(h))

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Requirement Due date

Specifically, leaders and managers should ensure staff are supported through regular practice-led supervision.

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Requirement Due date

In addition, leaders and managers should ensure that staff are up to date with their training, in preparation for children moving into the home. 9 May 2024

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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— 9 May 2024 Inspection report for children’s home: 2590726 6 that arrangements are in place to—

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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. (Regulation 14 (1)(a)(b) (2)(b)(iii))

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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

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

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Requirement Due date

Specifically ensuring that any gaps in employment are fully explored and recorded. 9 May 2024

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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: 2590726 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: The Forge, Church Street West, Woking, Surrey GU21 6HT

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Inspector

Chibuzo Otache, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2590726 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 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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