Children's Home run by Aspris Care North West Limited in Lancashire

Inspection report for children’s home: 2550015 1 Registered provider: Sandcastle Care Limited

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Full inspection Inspected under the social care common inspection framework

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Information about this children’s home

The home is operated by a private organisation. It provides care for up to two children who may experience social and emotional difficulties.

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Information about this children’s home

The home registered with Ofsted on 4 November 2019. There has been no registered manager since 2 October 2024.

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Information about this children’s home

One child was living at the home at the time of this inspection. The child spoke with the inspector.

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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 requires improvement to be good

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good

The children’s home provides effective services that meet the requirements for good.

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good

Date of last inspection: 16 January 2024

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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: 2550015 2

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Inspection date Inspection type Inspection judgement

16/01/2024 Full Good 20/03/2023 Full Good 23/03/2022 Full Good Inspection report for children’s home: 2550015 3

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

Since the last inspection, one child has moved out of the home back to their home area. This was a well-thought-out, planned move. Staff supported the move and helped the child to settle into their new home. As such, the child settled back into their local community and has re-established their relationships and support networks.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

One child has continued to live in the home and is making good progress in all aspects of their life. Staff follow individualised care plans and therapeutic plans to support the child to become independent and ready for the next stage in their life. As a result, the child has matured, is successfully dealing with past traumas, and has clear aspirations and goals for the future. One professional who works with the child said, ‘[Name of child] is unrecognisable, they are like a new child, they are really proud of themselves.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child attends college and is achieving the desired outcomes. The special educational needs co-ordinator said, ‘Their attendance is 95%, they really are doing well.’ This means the child is on course to achieve their educational potential and continue to their chosen employment and career.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child’s health needs are prioritised. The child is registered with local health services and attends routine appointments. A clinical team supports the manager and staff to ensure that they can meet the child’s emotional health and well-being needs.

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The child’s faith and spirituality are recognised as key factors in the child’s life and the positive impact these have on the child. Staff understand and encourage the child to explore their faith and to continue in a positive mindset. The child said, ‘If it wasn’t for the staff here, encouraging me and supporting me to be a better person, I would be either dead or in prison.’

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Overall experiences and progress of children and young people: good

The manager and staff build and maintain positive relationships with family members. This supports the child to remain in contact with people who are important to them and allows them to maintain their sense of identity and belonging.

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

The child’s risk assessment and positive support plans address the child’s individual risks and vulnerabilities. The assessments include clear strategies for staff to follow. Plans are reviewed and updated following any incidents. This supports staff to understand the child’s needs and keep the child safe.

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

The relationships between staff and the child are based on mutual respect and understanding. The child shared that they feel safe and that staff help them to stay safe. The child recognises the reduction in their risks and understands that changing their mindset with the support of the staff has helped with this positive change. Inspection report for children’s home: 2550015 4 The child does not routinely go missing from home. This is a huge reduction in risk from their starting point. On the one occasion that the child failed to return home on time, staff were proactive and consulted with the relevant professionals so that the child returned home safely. The child was offered an independent return home interview. This supported the manager to identify any potential triggers and implement new strategies to minimise the risk in the future.

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

Risks and vulnerabilities around substance misuse and knife crime have reduced. This is due to the staff taking opportunities to educate the child informally about the dangers of substances and carrying knives. However, not all staff have received training in substance misuse and it is unclear which staff have received training in knife crime. This training would further enhance the staff practice to continue to meet the needs of the child and keep them safe.

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

The same staff work in the home covering the rota. This provides consistency for the child and allows the child to build positive relationships. However, on occasions, staff have lone worked in the home without a first-aid qualification. This poses a risk to the child if they require first-aid treatment.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

A new manager has begun working in the home. He has applied to register with Ofsted and holds the relevant qualifications. The manager and new responsible individual have high aspirations for the child in their care and are passionate and child focused. The manager balances his management duties with spending time with the child.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Staff who were spoken to were incredibly positive about the new leadership and management team. One member of staff said, ‘Since [name of manager] has taken over the home I feel the staff morale has risen, we all feel positively encouraged and really supported.’

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

Not all supervision sessions completed prior to the new management team arriving have been conducted in line with the workforce development plan. Staff have not received an annual appraisal of their performance that includes feedback from staff working alongside them or children living in the home. This is a missed opportunity for leaders, managers and staff to reflect on their practice.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The new management team understands the service’s strengths and areas for development. A review of the quality of care by the previous manager was not submitted to Ofsted. This does not allow the regulator or the management team to look at patterns, trends, areas of concern or any progress made. An action plan is in place to address the shortfalls identified.

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The effectiveness of leaders and managers: requires improvement to be good

The manager keeps a record of all children who have come to live in the home and who have moved on from the home. However, the book is incomplete, with missing details of when the previous child moved on from the home and where they moved to. Inspection report for children’s home: 2550015 5 The home is subject to independent scrutiny monthly. The independent person provides a clear overview of the service and any areas for development. The manager is proactive in addressing any recommendations made by the independent person to enhance the practice in the home. Inspection report for children’s home: 2550015 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

at all times, at least one person on duty at the home has a suitable first aid qualification. (Regulation 31 (2)(a)) 2 February 2025

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must ensure that all employees—

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Requirement Due date

undertake appropriate continuing professional development and

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Requirement Due date

have their performance and fitness to perform their roles appraised at least once every year. (Regulation 33 (4)(a)(c))

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Requirement Due date

This specifically relates to the registered person ensuring that all staff complete training in substance misuse and knife crime to continue to meet the needs of the children. The registered person should also ensure that all staff receive an annual appraisal of their practice that includes feedback on their performance from professionals working alongside the member of staff and the children living in the home. 2 February 2025

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Requirement Due date

The registered person must complete a review of the quality of care provided for children (“a quality of care review”) at least once every 6 months.

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Requirement Due date

In order to complete a quality of care review the registered person must establish and maintain a system for monitoring, reviewing and evaluating—

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Requirement Due date

the quality of care provided for children;

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Requirement Due date

the feedback and opinions of children about the children’s home, its facilities and the quality of care they receive in it; and

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Requirement Due date

any actions that the registered person considers necessary in order to improve or maintain the quality of care provided for children. 2 February 2025 Inspection report for children’s home: 2550015 7 After completing a quality of care review, the registered person must produce a written report about the quality of care review and the actions which the registered person intends to take as a result of the quality of care review (“the quality of care review report”).

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Requirement Due date

supply to HMCI a copy of the quality of care review report within 28 days of the date on which the quality of care review is completed; and

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Requirement Due date

make a copy of the quality of care review report available on request to a placing authority, if the placing authority is not the parent of a child accommodated in the home.

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Requirement Due date

The system referred to in paragraph (2) must provide for ascertaining and considering the opinions of children, their parents, placing authorities and staff. (Regulation 45 (1) (2)(a)(b)(c) (3) (4)(a)(b) (5))

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Recommendations

 The registered person should ensure that they have systems in place so that all staff, including the manager, receive supervision of their practice in line with the workforce development plan. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 61, paragraph 13.2)  The registered person should ensure that they keep a record of when children moved out of the home and where to. This must be kept up to date. (‘Guide to the Children’s Homes Regulations, including the quality standards’, page 62, paragraph 14.3)

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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: 2550015 8

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Children’s home details

Registered provider: Sandcastle Care Limited

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Children’s home details

Registered provider address: 2 Barton Close, Grove Park, Enderby, Leicester LE19 1SJ

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Inspector

Julie Elder, Social Care Inspector Inspection report for children’s home: 2550015 9 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 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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